SUPPORT ARTSAKH VETERANS AND WARAFFECTED WOMEN

Arevik is one of the members from the 1^st cohort of the program. Arevik was born in Shirak region and moved to Artsakh, Kashatagh region as a beneficiary of a program for nurses. She worked there for more than 18 years and was forced to move out after the war on 20 Nov 2020. She settled in the village Aygezard, Ararat region and could not find a job for months.

In search of new opportunities, she engaged in our project and got a new profession of cosmetologist. After a four-month course in ART House educational center and receiving the necessary equipment and materials she is now working for a beauty salon. She and women like her serve as role models for many women in their communities and prove with their own examples that despite all the difficulties they face there is always a way out.

We are happy to announce that all our beneficiaries from the first group have already got jobs!!!! We will keep you posted with their success stories!!!!

The second group is already recruited. 5 talented women have joined the project. They had their introductory session, signed the agreements, and will start their professional development courses from 1 March 2023. 1 of them will become a nail artist, 2 florist designers and 2 will master the profession of tailor.

We are happy to inform you that all the beneficiaries of the first cohort of our project have successfully completed the educational part of our project. As a result, three of them are now specialized in hairdressing, three in cosmetology, one in baking and pastry, one in accounting and one as a tailor.

All the participants received a certificate from “For Equal Rights” Educational Center NGO and a diploma indicating their proficiency in the chosen field from “Art House” Educational Center. Thanks to the donations, all the beneficiaries received various items/products upon their choice with the amount of 100 000 AMD as the first investment to be able to be engaged in the labor market.

All the graduates from hairdressing and cosmetology courses are already making home visits for their clients and are parallelly looking for a main job. The graduate from the bakery course has decided to move to Stepanakert and open a bakery there. The accountancy course graduate after two months of paid internship in For Equal Rights NGO is going through interviews to choose a jobsite.

Although their first steps in the job market is one of the main goals of the initiative, the most significant achievement is their phycological rehabilitation and the new hope for the future. We have succeeded to establish a one-of-a-kind network of strong-willed women, where they find mutual assistance, support and cooperation. Each of them is also very welcome to our “Article 3” Human Rights Club and be a part of other initiatives.

We would like to express our gratitude to each of the donors. Thanks to your donations our beneficiaries can now have a fresh start in their careers but more importantly in their lives.

P.S. The project is currently supported by several Ambassadors based in Armenia and we are getting ready to host the second cohort of the project! 

Links:

• Facebook Post on the Project

We are happy to inform you that two of our beneficiaries, Anahit and Vardeni have successfully completed their courses and received certificates from “For Equal Rights” Educational center NGO.

Anahit has also received a certificate and a diploma indicating her proficiency as a hairdresser from “Art House” Educational center. Thanks to your donations, “For Equal Rights” NGO was able to provide necessary items/products in the amount of 100 000 AMD as a congratulatory gesture. These items are absolutely essential for building a career in the said field. The kit included all-purpose shears, blow dryer, curling iron, straightening iron, electric razor, combs etc. Anahit is already making home visits for her clients and is actively looking for a job in the market in which our team is assisting her.

Vardeni has completed the accounting course and will be undergoing a two-months paid internship with a monthly salary of 50 000 AMD net at “For Equal Rights” starting July 1^st.

Our first beneficiary, Ruzanna, already being a skilled seamstress, received a new sewing machine and all the necessary products, including fabric, and is now continuing her entrepreneurship.

All the other participants are still undergoing training courses at “Art House” Educational center. After the completion of the programmes the participants will get certifications from both “For Equal Rights” and “Art House” and will also be provided with tools and equipment with an amount of 100 000 AMD.

• Documents for all the expenses (PDF)
  

Our project currently has 10 beneficiaries. After conducting a thorough research of the field, our team has made the final decision to cooperate with “Art House” Educational center. The center has been in the field for 12 years and is providing a wide variety of educational courses with affordable prices. The decision on the center was made considering the following aspects:

1. Accessibility: this aspect was taken into consideration to make sure that the location will be easy to reach. The center is located in 33, Abovyan street, Yerevan, Armenia. Both metro station and public transportation services are available at this location.
2. Price-range: based on market analysis implemented by our team the said center offers the best price-range for provided services.
3. The proficiency and the experience of the trainers: all the specialists employed by the center are fully licensed and highly professional individuals who have been in the field for years.
4. The background of the center: reviews and comments of previous and current trainees and customers of the center were considered while making the decision.  
5. Friendly environment: Our team also paid attention on the general appearance of the center, making sure that the participants will have no difficulties while adapting and can fully concentrate on the process of learning.

You can find the Facebook page of “Art House” educational center here.

The participants will undergo trainings within the specialty they have previously chosen. The duration of the trainings ranges from 1 to 4 months, depending on the area of specialization. Following fields were chosen by our beneficiaries: hairdressing, flower arrangements and floral design, cosmetology, accounting. However, the trainings will start with the introductory courses; afterwards the participants will make the final decision on the field they want to expertise in. The first phase of the trainings will be conducted in a group consisting of maximum 5 people after which the beneficiaries will be given the opportunity to master in the profession through individual training. The trainings will commence on the 1^st of February 2022. The course of the trainings will be monitored and communicated in the form of photos and written reports. After the completion of the trainings the participants will receive certifications, therefore they will be able to enter the job market freely. All the necessary products will also be provided following the completion of the courses so that the beneficiaries will be able to start working right away.

Ruzanna one of the beneficiaries of our project, is a mother of 6 children: 4 boys and 2 wonderful girls. The family lives in Yeghegnavan, a small village in Ararat region, Armenia. Ruzanna's husband is unable to work because of a serious eye injury which caused blindness in one eye and reduced the vision in the other eye to 10%. Thanks to Ruzanna's friend they found a house with relatively affordable rent, however the house is in severe need of reconstruction.

Nver, Ruzanna's oldest son, was 20 years old when the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war started. He was a soldier in the Armenian Army at the time. When the armed conflict began he was sent to Hadrut region, then to Martuni. During the last months of the war Nver was serving in Askeran region. Just like so many families, Ruzanna's family was hugely affected by the war, both psychologically and financially. “Having your oldest son on active-duty at border during war, not being able to be there for him, not knowing what could happen to him at any point was the hardest thing I ever had to endure”, - says Ruzanna.

Nver is now back home and he has put up his mind to renovate their house, so that his family can have a warm and dignifying place to live. Seda, the youngest is 4 years old. She has a dream of becoming a doctor and judging from her vivid and determined character, that is distinguishable even at such a young age, she will pursue her dream.

Ruzanna has mastered the craft of sewing from a very young age. She always loved making things with her own hands. Anything from table clothes to bed sheet sets. Yet, it was not until long ago when Ruzanna realized that she can earn money by doing the work she loves. She first started selling her product to her neighbors and friends. Overtime her hand-made floral hankies, doily aprons, bed linens and blankets gained more and more demand. However, the sewing machine Ruzanna was using broke, as it was very old, and she was no longer able to make a living. This is when we have learnt about Ruzanna and her family. Thanks to the generosity of our donors we were able to buy a brand new sewing machine and all the necessary products, including fabric, so that Ruzanna could continue her entrepreneurship. Our team will also help Ruzanna to expand and to promote her small business via social networks.